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Why don't Replica Helmets look like the actual helmet they are replicas of?

11K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  swoopp 
#1 ·
Can anyone tell me why replica helmets don't look exactly like the helmet they are supposed to be a replica of? Is it because the helmet manufactures don't want to give the sponsor companies like Red Bull free advertising? Copy write issues?

This Vinales "replica" helmet for example looks nothing like his actual helmet:



Same with Pedrosa

 
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#6 · (Edited)
#1 that's not the helmet model they are actually wearing. Their helmets are as prototype as thier bikes.

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1. What he ^^^ said

2. Sponsor logo copyright.

Those are the two big reasons, but there are a few others that contribute as to the why...

3. The materials are much different. I work with thermoplastics and specialty textiles. High-volume manufacturers don't use the same materials as what the MGP riders are wearing,

4. The economies of scale. One-off helmets (for that matter, one-off anything) are going to cost more than mass-produced. Joe Bloes like all of us can't afford them. So they use materials that will price their helmets into a do-able price range for their end-users. As such, they are pressed to limit the extent of exotic textiles they use in manufacture. The helmets worn by MGP riders typically run around $5000-$6000 after development, materials, and labor...each. Keep in mind that a rider will go through 1-3 helmets per weekend during the MGP season. I try to limit myself to one helmet per year lol.

5. Most of the prototypes worn by the MGP guys are of various construct, as well as exotic in design, with very basic and narrow requirements for safety and weight...all criteria outside of those two are wide open. This means a lot of people don't understand the arithmetic madness involved in determining general design, composite make-up, etc. That's why you have the "Snell DOT approved" sticker (or its equivalent) on the back of your helmet...the real world environment wants everything nice and tidy and standardized. Manufacturers intending to sell to the public end-user are bound by many more rules and requirements.

6. Insurance. The insurance industry also likes everything nice and tidy and standardized...but they also like everything cheap...it's less potential financial out-lay for them to replace a $300 helmet than a $3000 unit. There's the additional element of material track-record. A certain material may be significantly better than what's being produced for the masses, but if it has no performance history or public track record, no insurance company is going to honor it, which means, through lobbying, DOT isn't going to approve it. Saves everybody headaches (no pun intended), especially big business insurance.
 
#4 ·
Man, all that additional aero on their corsair x's... wish they offered that to the pubic.

Interestingly, my arai rea replica corsair x is spot on minus the monster logo. I guess J. Rea is WSBK but still. It seems MGP is slightly more elite when it comes to personalized rider designs on all the gear, stickers, numbers etc. Still not sure why they wouldn't be able to sell the same design minus the sponsor logos..
 
#5 ·
I've seen my HRC helmet being worn by what I think were sponsored riders. Not really famous riders tho :p
 
#8 ·
Areo kit is like 100$
https://www.google.com/search?q=ara...=arai++corsair+aero+kit&imgrc=jGfTIaHFLsrRSM:
(I seen others but I'm lazy today)

can any of you cite this "one of custom claim"?

because all the videos I see say that those are stock helmets prept for the rider by arai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rPrpEARTUA

Arai could indeed be an exception. However keep in mind Arai's production process. Also, their relationships with MGP and SWBK provide them them a great (yet expensive) test-platform...which is factored into R&D cost. And even though they may mass-produce a helmet model, they have to scale the tech down to make sure it's going to sell. Also keep in mind their available-to-public carbon-shell helmet already starts at $2900.00 and their all-carbon available-to-public helmet starts at $4000.00...and a lot of that R&D is factored into purchase price.

When answering the original poster's question, I was just saying that these are some of the reason...certainly not all. Additionally, replica helmets are made for sale to the general public...to the fans of say...Vinales. In order to do so, they have to price them so that the general public can afford them. In order to do that, the manufacturing companies are not going to offer their top of the line...they are going to offer a mid-range model so that enough units sell. The ARAI Vinales replica (Corsair X) he mentions in the original post goes for $900.00 retail...hardly a mid-range price, and certainly not incorporating as much tech/materials as what the MGP and SWBK riders are wearing....not to mention I don't see the average Joe being able to fly in an Arai tech to prep a helmet every weekend...there's a lot more to "prepping" than most think.

At any rate, this is just one of the factors that answer the OP's question. Copyright is the other big one. Red Bull isn't going to authorize logo usage unless they're getting a substantial royalty...which would raise the cost of the helmet out of reach of the average fan/rider.
 
#9 ·
Am assuming OP is asking more about the paint job than the specification/materials.
Most likely copyright issues regarding use of logo's and royalties.

I heard all the small sponsor logo stickers on factory Repsol's are supplied separate in the crate, not stuck on at the factory.
 
#10 ·
#11 ·
1. Some of those paint jobs are quit intricate and expensive to reproduce, so the get simplified a bit.

2. Some riders change their helmets designs quit often. Usually not the whole helmet, but, small details.

3. The helmet manufacturers are not keen on adding red bull or monster logos for free. Seems like most riders are sponsored by either now a days. I'm sure no sponsor would object to their logo being applied to thousands of helmets around the world, free advertising.
 
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